Snow Plow Blades, Cutting Edges FAQ - Winter Equipment

Frequently Asked Questions

Our top ten questions answered:

The recommended speed will vary based on the condition of the roads. Concrete / asphalt highway roads can support up to 45 mph, while asphalt city streets should be plowed around 10-15 mph. Chip seal and gravel roads can vary, but typically the slower the plow goes, the less road damage.

There are a multitude of variables that go into this decision. We typically recommend you give as much information as possible when either calling in or emailing an inquiry.

Steel is typically a good choice for low speed plowing on poor road conditions (potholes, manhole covers, bridge joints, etc). Steel blades can struggle to match the performance of carbide insert blades but may be the best choice in certain cases where blades are lost or damaged frequently due to impact as opposed to general use.

Carbide insert blades are the cream of the crop when talking snow plow cutting edge blades. They have the cutting power of steel with a vastly increased life expectancy. Carbide insert blades are fantastic for medium-high speed plowing on road surfaces with few obstructions. These conditions are ideal because the medium-high speed reduces impact on the blade, preventing brittle carbide to crack and wash out.

Rubber has a squeegee effect on the road and is the most lightweight material for snow plow blades. Rubber clears light snow, or heavy snow that has had time to melt from salt or brine. The nature of rubber which allows some flexibility when encountering obstacles in the road makes it a good choice for poor road conditions. Rubber is the best solution for any entity that finds itself plowing older decorative roads like brick or cobble stone because it can clear snow without ripping up the road substrate.

A full line of contractor grade guards, fitting the most popular OEM plows, have been engineered to fit in a smaller envelope and meet the demands of the hard working light-duty/contractor market.

The Xtendor Family of guards including our patented Impervium® Carbide weld leads the way with multiple sizes to fit most all OEM plows. The Xtendor system comes with two guards (a right and left), a steel blade, and a hardware kit for installation.

Most recently we have expanded our contractor offering with the introduction of the Vulcan v-plow snow plow cutting edge, MoDUS modular skid shoe system for pusher boxes and the Pegasus expandable plow blade system. These product evolutions are a result of our experience in the municipal and DOT markets over the past 30 years.

No. Stover lock nuts are designed to crimp the threads of the bolt to reduce the likelihood of a hardware failure. As a result, our hardware is one-time use.

A system is a collection of products packaged together and shipped to your door. It is designed to keep everything for a blade install together and reduce the headache of ordering multiple pieces for blade changes. Each system includes smaller sections of blades for easier installation, 1 or 2 PlowGuards, hardware kits (with bolts, stover lock nuts, and conical washers), and includes freight costs. All of this can be ordered with one part number and comes in one box with installation instructions.

Easy Order – Easy Inventory – Easy Install

These are blade properties that affect the performance of the blade. They are both equally effective given the application.

An aggressive blade has more of a cutting effect. These blades are designed to limit the amount of surface area coming into direct contact with the road. They are best for ice and snowpack when the goal is to clear as much snow and ice with the blade as opposed to melting snow with salt or brine.

A road friendly blade is designed to increase the footprint the blade makes on the road. The increased surface area on the road helps to extend the wear life of the blade. It also allows the blade to “glide” instead of “cut” which helps to reduce road damage, and to avoid obstructions like manhole covers and bridge joints.

  • Wear on blade ends – PlowGuard CurbGuard OR PlowGuard CurbRunner® Recommended
  • Wear on blade center and corner – PlowGuard Straight & PlowGuard CurbGuard OR PlowGuard CurbRunner® Recommended
  • Wear on blade center and corner – PlowGuard Straight Recommended

Install your guards wherever you notice the most wear on your previous blades. Keep in mind, if a blade is already worn in, the guard could hang lower than the blade. That will require the guard to wear to the same level before you will begin clearing evenly. (It is highly recommended to install new guards with new blades to achieve max cutting efficiencies)

No. However, for our interlocking sections it can sometimes be easier to install them from one side to the other to help line up the tabs.

Talk with your operators and fleet managers to understand your environment and what obstacles your operators are faced with. Curbs can play a big part in determining which guards to order. If your routes have many curbs you may want to consider curb protection. If you have no curbs, a straight plow guard will work great. You will also want to note uneven wear and order blades that will help to alleviate that uneven wear. (It is highly recommended to install new guards with new blades to achieve max cutting efficiencies)

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Winter Equipment Company and/or its various product brands are not associated with or sponsored by any of the above companies.
  • Western
  • Fisher
  • SnowEx
  • SnowDogg
  • BOSS